Convincing businesses to donate to charity on the cusp of another financial crisis is a tough gig, but 2011 Australian of the Year Simon McKeon says there's never been a better time to be generous.

"There's probably never been a more important era to put our best foot forward and say that business is here to do its fair share to solve these community problems," he told ABC Goulburn Murray's Bronwen Wade ahead of a visit to Wodonga for a fundraising luncheon by community foundation Border Trust.

Simon McKeon lives in the high-flying corporate world. He's a successful investment banker, executive chairman of Macquarie Group's Melbourne office, and a record-breaking yachtsman. But it's his support for local and international charities that saw him named Australian of the Year.

He admitted the message of giving can be a hard sell in the corporate world. But he says corporate generosity makes good social and business sense.

"We end up with a stronger and more viable business if its working out how it can connect with community. The enlightened organisation of the future will be one that does think more broadly. It will get better people and it will end up being a better connected organisation to the community that it's trying to sell goods and services to."

Ironically, Simon said there's a selfish motivation behind his passion for giving.

"There's a far greater correlation between happiness and giving of ourselves, as opposed to happiness and the acccumulation of material wealth. That's my motivation. I just want to be a normal person with an element of happiness in my life."

Simon McKeon will speak at the Border Trust fundraising luncheon on Tuesday October 4th from 12-2pm at the Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga.